Fall Movie Preview!
What stands out as we approach awards season at the cinema
About two months ago, I made a rather dismal prediction for the rest of yet another heavily IP-driven year at the box office. Thankfully, I was validated in at least having some hope for George Miller’s Furiosa and ended up having a fun time with M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, but nothing else has really stood out as truly exceptional.
As is always the case around this time of the year, we’re starting to get a better idea of what studios have been saving for the last few months, to get their hopeful critical darlings out for all the Oscar (and, yes, Golden Globe) voters to see before the deadline for eligibility comes around. Some films- like Clint Eastwood’s upcoming thriller Juror No. 2- get pushed a year if the studio feels the film’s Oscar odds will fare better then, but some have recently been locked in for those sweet October/November dates.
Here are the ones that I’m interested in seeing:
Wolfs (dir. Jon Watts)
RELEASE DATE: September 20
Despite Sony doing everything they can to get him to helm yet another one of the Spider-Man movies, director Jon Watts has seemingly brought us a refreshingly original, star-driven comedy with none other than the Ocean’s duo themselves: Brad Pitt and George Clooney, as “two professional fixers” who “find themselves hired for the same job.” Secret sequel to Michael Clayton? Maybe, but from the trailer this one looks like the kind of smart action-comedy they really don’t make anymore. (Note: unfortunately this movie recently got a downgrade from a wide to a limited release, so it may only be available to watch in certain areas until it releases on Apple TV+. Gotta love streaming!)
Megalopolis (dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
RELEASE DATE: September 27
Originally conceived by The Godfather and Apocalypse Now helmer Francis Ford Coppola in the late 1970s, Megalopolis looks to be one of the most ambitious passion projects ever made. With an immense cast led by Adam Driver, the film follows his character Cesar Catilina, an architect in the future city of “New Rome” who finds himself at odds with Mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito) in a battle for the future of their city. Coppola has really bet the farm (or rather, vineyard) on this one, and reactions from those who have seen it have ranged from “masterpiece” to “insane mess”. I’m excited to see which it is.
Joker: Folie à Deux (dir. Todd Phillips)
RELEASE DATE: October 4
When a $55 million movie makes $1 billion you bet it’s getting a sequel. Despite the inflated budget (allegedly upwards of $200 million) the trailers have really surprised me with its almost La La Land-esque tone, as the film will be a “jukebox musical” a la Moulin Rouge with the characters doing renditions of popular songs. Some have noted that since the first film copied Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, that this film may be an homage to the director’s less-known follow-up to that film, 1977’s New York, New York, a romantic musical starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro. Whether this film- once again starring Joaquin Phoenix and bringing Lady Gaga in as Harley Quinn- will capture the magic of old-school Hollywood musicals or devolve into more deranged “we live in a society” nonsense (or both) remains to be seen.
Saturday Night (dir. Jason Reitman)
RELEASE DATE: October 11
The trailer for this one just dropped this past week, and it looks to be really fun! The entire plot of the film is supposed to take place in the 90 minutes before the live airing of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live, based on first-hand accounts from cast and crew members of the actual first episode. Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) stars as famed SNL creator Lorne Michaels, and the cast features an interestingly diverse array of lesser-known actors to play such famous names as Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Henson, and more, lending some authenticity to the roles. Hopefully the film actually sticks to being 90 minutes, which would be a welcome refresher and the perfect runtime for a high-concept comedy like this one.
Blitz (dir. Steve McQueen)
RELEASE DATE: November 1
Since he won an Oscar for his 2013 film 12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen hasn’t made many features since, only making the heist film Widows back in 2018. His return to the silver screen (for yet another limited release thanks to Apple) will be for the Saoirse Ronan-led WWII film Blitz, which will follow Ronan’s character Rita, who searches for her missing son in wartime London and her husband George (Elliott Heffernan) who in turn is trying to make his way back home to both his wife and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller). Not much else is known about this film and a trailer has not been released yet, but the concept seems intriguing and this is one I hope to catch in theaters (and not Apple TV+).
Gladiator II (dir. Ridley Scott)
RELEASE DATE: November 15 (UK), November 22 (US)
Almost 25 years after the release of the first film, Ridley Scott has returned with the long-gestating follow-up, this time exchanging Russell Crowe for the up-and-coming star Paul Mescal as the titular fighter. Mescal is playing Lucius, the grandson of Marcus Aurelius and son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen, who will reprise her role in this film), who, through the events of the film, finds himself in the gladiatorial arenas under the patronage of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a power broker and former slave. Sounds a bit familiar to the first one? Maybe, but early reactions for this epic have been quite positive, and if anyone could make a follow-up to Gladiator work, it’s Ridley Scott.
Nosferatu (dir. Robert Eggers)
RELEASE DATE: December 25
Robert Eggers is probably one of the most talented directors working in Hollywood these days, with his last film The Northman being one of my personal favorite films of 2022. His commitment to historical accuracy- down to the last detail- make for fascinating and immersive films, and Nosferatu looks to be no exception. This is something of a passion project for Eggers, who started off as a stage production designer and put on a production of Nosferatu as one of his first shows. Starring Bill Skarsgård (It) as the titular vampire, this film looks to be yet another mesmerizing thriller that I can’t wait to see.
If you’re interested in hearing more about upcoming films for the rest of the year, check out our podcast, where we talk about all the movies we’re looking forward to in 2024 and 2025!